The rampant gold mining activity in the vicinity of Indawgyi Lake, a designated wildlife sanctuary in Mohnyin Township Kachin State, has resulted in severe water pollution of the neighboring streams. This pollution has rendered the streams unusable, leading to significant headaches for agriculture and the livelihoods of the local community.
Gold miners pump large amounts of stream water for their operations, resulting in a shortage of water supply for the surrounding plantations and other livelihoods.
The Nam Yin Kha stream is a crucial water source for agricultural activities in the Nam Yin Kha preserved forest area in the Indawgyi region. However large-scale machinery used for gold mining activities has led to the contamination of the stream water with chemical impurities, such as diesel, engine oil, and mercury.
A local told Myitkyina News Journal that “ the water has become severely polluted and muddy, rendering it unfit for even basic uses like washing hands and legs.”
“As the mud accumulates in the stream, the water level drops, making it even more challenging for the farming industry. Additionally, excessive water intake by the gold mining industry leads to the stream drying up, causing significant problems for our plantations. In times of military operations in the region, the gold miners often leave, and only then do we see clear water flowing in the stream, which is suitable to use for our plantations”, he said.
Mercury poisoning leads to huge health problems according to WHO -the UN’s World Health Organisation: which states : “Mercury may have toxic effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, and on lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes. Mercury is considered by WHO as one of the top ten chemicals or groups of chemicals of major public health concern.”
The Nam Yin Kha stream, which once had a healthy flow of clear water, has now been impacted by rampant gold mining, leading to frequent muddy water conditions. As a consequence, the stream has begun to lose depth and become shallow, another Indawgyi resident commented.
“The Nam Yin Kha stream has begun to dry up and the current is no longer healthy. In the past, even during summer, there was an abundant amount of water that supported large fish and fishing activities. Due to excessive gold mining, the water has also become dirty and muddy”, he said.
Agricultural activities in Indawgyi heavily rely on stream water, and now the local community is increasingly concerned about the harmful impact of waste chemicals from the gold mining sites on the water.
